Automatic spabx contboi



Jan. 24, 1933. V, L, HOWE 1,895,323

AUTOMATIC SPARK CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May '27,1931 a fr 1.1117111111 i f Z VIL Han/ Patented Jan. ,24, 1933 UNITEDs'rA TES" PATENT. C14-FICE 'y vICTon Il. Hown, or i.aisRNnAnnv MICHIGANAUTOMATIC SPARK CoNTnoI. ron INTERNAL CoMBUsTIoN ENGINES Y p Applicationled. May 27,

0 'may be' actuated by and as the result of'the actuation of theaccelerator pedal connected.

to the throttle valve of the engine, to the end that the spark may -beautomatically advanced when the' accelerator pedal is de-` pressed andautomatically retarded when the accelerator pedal is released and thuspermit the engine to be easily started and accelerated and insure thesmooth operation of the en# gine under all speeds. 1

To attain the foregoing and other objects, the nature of which willappear as the description proceeds, the invention compie" lhendsconnecting the arm or lever of the ignition distributor to the VarmAthrottle valve.

The invention further comprehends the' connecting of the ignitiondistributor arm or' lever and theV throttle valve arm or lever in ,amanner to permit the throttle valve to be A'actuated in the direction ofits fully opened position after the ignition distributor has beenactuated to fully advance the spark and thusrenable the engine to beoperatedat its VVmaximum speed which i operation thereof 35 "takes placeonly after the spark has beenr fully i advanced. A,

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter described and claimed,and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevationillus` trating the applicationof the spark control i' means to thethrottle valve and ignition distributor of anlinternal `combustionengine; Figure 2 is a4 view partly in horizontal sec-` tion and partlyin top plan of the spark con` trol means, the ignition distributor andthe intake manifold of the engine.

Figure. 3 is a view in side elevation of ay fragmentary portion of thespark control for one of its objects to or lever of the,

bracket'7`by a bolt 12. Y f

A link 13 is `pivotally Connected, as at :14, v

to o-ne 'of the arms ofthe lever 11, and `is pivotally connected, as at15,`to aclamp ,16" engaged with the throttle valve armor leverH V1931.serial'nolmea Q Y `means and fragmentary portionsof the inrtake manifoldand" carburetor, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the" plane indicated by the line4"-4 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 desig-V nates the carburetor, 2the i ltake manifold,

thev throttle valvev shaft, and lthe ignition `distributor of aninternal combustion-engine. j

5 designates the throttlevvalve arm or lever,`. k .i

and 6 the ignitionfdistributor arm or lever. AIn accordance with thepresent `,practice the throttle valve is under the control of a handlever and an `accelerator pedal connected to the arm or lever 5, and theignition distributor 4 is under the control of a hand lever connected tothe arm or lever 6. As the throttle valve, hand lever and theaccelerator pedal, together with the means for connecti' 'it is `deemedunnecessary to illustrate the same. Theignition distributor hand lever`is supplanted by my invention which comprehends connecting the arm orlever 6 to the arm or lever 5to the 'end that the ignition distributor 4may beautomatically loperated Y to advance the spark as the acceleratorlever is depressed and to automatically retard the spark as theaccelerator lever isreleased and moves upwardly. i Y

` Themeans by which the `arms or levers 5 and 6 'areconnected comprisesa bracket 7 'whichis secured to and extends upwardly from the couplingflange 8l of the intake 85,

vmanifold 2, `The bracket 7 is secured to the Acoupling flange 48 by oneof the bolts 9 by which the coupling flange 10` of the carburetor bowlever 11 is pivotally Connected at*v the 'uncture of its arms to theupperend 'of the is secured to the coupling flange 8." 4An el- 5 at apoint below the spherical bead of the latter. A rod 17 ispivotally'con'nected, as

, at 18, to the other arm ofthe lever 11, and'is connected to the armorlever 6 of the ignition carried byl the' tubular rod portionv lZa fThebearing member 22 is screw threadedl `engaged with the tubularrodportion lgamto permit it to be adjusted longitudinally rwithzf respectto such rod portion, and it is secured in adjusted position byallockznutl24.1z.The

bearingmember 23 is slidably mounted in the tubular rod portion 17 a,and "is constantlyV urged in the direction of the bearing mem-k ber 22by a compression spring :25 located` v within the tubularrod portion.

Y The bracket 2"V `s located rearwardlyof the 1 Y my vinvention obviateslthe manual control of the distributorI and the disadvantages inc i;,dent thereto. 'The ignition distributor 4'may v-be adjustedto directthe tensioningof the-" throttle valve arm or lever 5, the Vlever-11 ispivoted to thefbracket at a point above .thej

arm or lever, and the clamp 16 extends rearwardly fromthe arm for lever5, tothe end thatwhen vthe throttle' valve is moved in the direction of-its fully vopened positionf'the lever 11 will be A rocked inonedirction, and to vthe fend that when the.. throttlevalve is moved inthe direction .of its fullyclosed position the levcrll will ybe rockedin the opposite direction; y

The rod 17 extends from the lever 11 to the" arm "or lever 6fo`f theignition distributor 4, and imparts themove'ments of the lever 11 tothearm or lever 6, tothe end that the 2 ignition distributor will beactuated.l to ad-fvancethe spark as the throttle valveV is openedandfret'ard the spark as thethrottle valve is closed.A The spring 2 5establishes aiyielding connection Vlietw'een Vthe' arm or lever 6' andthe `rod '17,"and this; connection permits the rod to movevvith'respec'tto the armA or lever after' the lignition distributorvv L has beenaot'uatedito fullyadvance' the spark. The

spark 'will' Jbe"ful'ly^'advanced before the throttle valve has beenmoved into its fully 'y opened position and when the engine has attainedthe driving speed of approximately thirty'miles per hour; nectioiibetween the rod -17 4and the'ignition distributor arm or lever 6vvilll'permit the connection with the accompanying drawing, ,v

it will be understood that,.astheignition distributor arm or levers isconnected.I to

connected tothe arm or lever, Ithe Aignition distributor .4 is'underthe\cont'rol of the pedalj-lever-.and willfconsequently be actu-v ated iautomatically ,to'l` advance or retard the Y spark, fthe ignition fdistributorV being, actuf atedto f advance the sparkwhen the..acceler.

The! yieldingVV con-I radapted to -yieldl 1 tributor arm.z

".iretarding'v position, with:` the; result that vthe engine/may beeasilystarted or accelerated.

During the acceleration ofthe engine up to a:predetermined'speed, theignition'distributor 4 will be, due toits connection with the.:throttle-valve, :actuated .to advance the spark, and the advancing ofthe spark will be 'in directproportion to the increase in speed of theengine, with the resultthat the., ,engine will performfeicientlyundeiquick- ,A

or slow'acceleration.Y The :automaticf-con# 1; trolv of theignitiondistributor 4 providedby memberV 22.`I

which Inow consider fthepreferred einbodi- 4 tiony as claimed,

Whatis claimed ist* ignition distributori of .an internalcombus- 1. Incombination, the ,throttle-valveandi.

Inentthereof, it is to be understoodithat theV a structure shown Vismerely illustrative .and` .thatfsuch' changes-maybe jmade,.-lwhendc--w-V sired, as fallwithin' the scope. orf the inven-.f

l'lIlOLfJ tion-engine,andmeans connecting thedis-i tributorto the"valve: so that the distributor Y will be moved into-spark .retardingcondire,

tion-uas-thevalve is closed and intofsp'ark:` advancing condition as thevalve Vis opened,V .said VVmeans V:being: :yieldable when the dis-`.tributorzis in position to `:fully advane they.;V

sparkwhen the lvalve. is partly open so that*` the avalve may be fullyopened. .5

throttle valve and ignition distributor, coin,l

2. Means for. connectingthe arms ,of aglflo" prisingz a pivoted lever,;a link connected to i i the E lever f and a adapted to 'be connected'ytot( 3. Means liorconneetingthe armsof the throttle valve-and ignitiondistributorfof,

a bracket adapted to besecuredto apart of the-.- engine,` :anx elbowleverI pivoted to the an .internal combustion engine, .comprising`bracket,` .a clamp-adaptedto be-securedto,...

the throttlevalve arm, al linkfconnected to,.-

the leverand clamp, a rod .connected to the..

Jever, Aand Vmeans vcarriedtherodl and gly connect itto thegdis- 4.Means for connectingthe arms .ofvthe g iso lthe; invention, togetherwith the structure bracket adapted to be secured to a part of theengine, Van elbow lever pivoted to the bracket, a clamp adapted to besecured to the throttle valve arm, a link connected to the lever andclamp, a rod connected to the lever, said rod having a tubular portion,bearing members carried by said rod portion and adapted for connectionWith the ignition distributor arm, one of said bearing members beingadjustably engaged with and the other slidably mounted in said armportion, and a spring mounted in said arm portion and bearing againstthe slidable bearing member to constantly urge it in the direction ofthe other bearing member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my signature.

VICTOR L. HOWE.

